Field of the Invention
The present disclosure relates to the field of sports equipment, particularly sports balls such as cricket balls.
Background
Sports balls are used by players around the world to play many types of games. While most sports balls are spherical, many differ in properties such as size, structure, and materials. Many sports balls are specifically designed and manufactured to be suitable for playing a particular sport.
For example, cricket is a popular game played around the world. Conventional cricket balls have a hard inner core made of cork or rubber surrounded by a leather outer cover. Many are made to conform to specific standards governing their weight and/or size. For instance, standards for the balls used for professional men's cricket require the ball to be between 5.5 oz. and 5.75 oz., with a circumference between 224 mm and 229 mm. This traditional structure leads to a hard and heavy ball that can travel very quickly through the air.
While such cricket balls can perform as intended for a cricket match, they can also be very dangerous to players due to their hardness and the speed at which they can travel. Injuries and even death can occur when players are hit with conventional cricket balls. As such, professional and organized players often wear protective equipment during matches to avoid injury. Unfortunately, many players play cricket casually without protective gear, such as in street matches or when they cannot afford protective gear, increasing the risk of injury.
Many players also use other types of balls that are more affordable and/or can be more readily obtained than conventional cricket balls. For example, casual players in street matches often use a tennis ball in place of a conventional cricket ball. However, a tennis ball is generally bouncier, softer, lighter, and less dense than traditional cricket balls. These differing qualities can cause tennis balls to perform very differently than regular cricket balls when they are thrown or hit during cricket matches, thereby changing how the game is played.
Some players apply electrical or other adhesive tape to the exterior of a tennis ball in an attempt to make it harder and smoother, to better approximate how a conventional cricket ball performs. However, such “tape balls” can still perform differently than conventional cricket balls during matches.
Other players practice or play with used cricket balls. However, conventional cricket balls can degrade quickly during play, with their surfaces becoming worn down. Worn down areas on the exterior of a cricket ball can alter the ball's normal trajectory through the air. As such, using old and degraded cricket balls can lead to unpredictable performance.
What is needed is a cricket ball made of materials that make it more durable than conventional cricket balls, which also being lighter and softer than conventional cricket balls such that the risk of injury to players is reduced.